Your Very First Bike

[shadon]

I remember it being in the second floor hallway and seeing it as I came down the stairs from the third floor. It was red and had training wheels. That bike was around for years, getting passed down to all of my siblings.

[northstar]

Mine was a lovely blue Schwinn. I think I was 6. It was tough learning to ride without training wheels on gravel out on the farm. I was just remarking how my Schwinn Suburban looks so much like a grown-up version of my first bike. Same color, even.

[RolliePollie]

My first two-wheeler was a pink Schwinn with a white and pink floral banana seat. Ooooh, that seat was soooooo pretty! It was smooth shiny vinyl and the flowers looked like they were hand painted (ok, I was 5 years old...but I was just in love with that pretty seat at the time!). I had one of those cool tall flags, a bell, and a white basket on the handlebars. My friends and I were allowed to ride all over the place by ourselves (this was in Southern California in the late 70's/early 80's). We even crossed busy 4-lane streets and intersections. I can't imagine letting a 5 or 6 year old go riding alone these days! It's sad that kids don't have that freedom anymore...we had so much fun as kids out on our own.

Around that time, my parents had these really neat old 3-speed folding Bianchis. I think they were 50's or 60's vintage. One was blue and one was green. They had step-through frames and if I recall correctly, you shifted by twisting the rubber grip on one of the handlebars. They were sold at a garage sale years ago...what a bummer! I've looked for these bikes on ebay but I've never found one.

[singletrackmind]

1972 grass green banana seat bike with sparkly green seat.

A lot like so...but green...

[Aggie_Ama]

Mid-80's garage sale find when I was 5. Maybe my parents got it from a friend? Mine had a banana seat and was Strawberry Shortcake themed!! I didn't learn to ride until I was 8 though, so the bike mainly had training wheels and sat unused. The bike was replaced for me by my grandparents when I finally learned to ride.


The best though was my Huffy Color Wave 10 speed I had. It got stolen and I am still saddened. It was an aqua color, I wish I could find a photo!

[SouthernBelle]

I got mine for Christmas when I was 4. It was red and blue and had training wheels. Don't remember the brand, but I bet it was from Western Auto way back then.

[Cyclo Kitty]

Mine was a blue metallic single-speed Raleigh with a coaster brake. Might have been the Space Rider or the Colt. I rode it with my Dad all over Chicago, until I finally wore out the coaster brake! Coming down the hill from the Rookery behind the greenhouse in Lincoln Park, I shot across the street and into the park....Dad yelling at me about safety. He refused to believe the bake had failed until it tried it himself (by hand, he's 6'-2" and if it had gotten small for me at age 8, well, it was beyond him to squeeze onto it!).

I loved that bike, and I remember the shop where we bought it, and the next one, and Dad's bike so well. One reason I like my LBS here so much is that it smells just like Turin did in the 1970s and the guys are pretty similar too, but there are women mechanics and sales people.

[IFjane]

Mine was a blue huffy. I learned to ride without training wheels when I was five. My elementary school was exactly 1 mile from my house and EVERYONE either walked or rode bikes to school. There were two huge bike racks out by the cafeteria and that's where we all parked our bikes. In those days, the kids who lived real close even went home for lunch & came back. I didn't because I was just a little too far away. But - I rode my bike to school every day (unless it was raining) from kindergarten through 6th grade. At some point I "graduated" to a larger bike, but I don't remember when.

Memories: I had a basket on the front, and my dad fashioned a primitive bungee with wire and a piece of cut innertube so I could tie down my books and papers.

I took piano lessons and rode my bike to those, too. The lessons cost $1.50. My mom would fold two quarters up into a dollar bill & I would hold that in my hand as I pedaled to my lessons.

I hated the month of March. It was so windy and the wind would blow up my skirt & I couldn't keep it down....then the boys would laugh. This was "back in the day" before girls could wear pants to school.

In winter Mom had me wear wool leggings under my skirts. I hated the leggings but they did keep me warm.

[GLC1968]

My first bike (that belonged to me specifically) was a banana seat bike similar to the one that singletrackmind posted. I think it was either blue or purple. I honestly don't remember much about it except that the pedals were really close to the ground, so I had to be careful not to make a sharp right turn with the right pedal in the down position. I did once (luckily in an empty parking lot) and got one of those handlebars hard in the ribs. I had a nasty moon-shaped bruise on my torso for months and it was the first time I ever knocked the wind out of my lungs. It was scary! Now, 30+ years later, I still keep the inside pedal up when I make a turn.

The first bike I truly remember was a white 12-speed Huffy that I got when I was in 4th grade. It had foam covered drop handlebars and I rode it EVERYWHERE for years (literally, through junior high). I LOVED that bike. Funny thing is, I have no idea what happened to it!

[mimitabby]

my very first bicycle was a pink pin striped t hing with training wheels. After being terrorized by grown men pushing it down the street with me on it, i gave up on riding and that bike was probably left in a basement somewhere.

When I was 9, my father surprised me with a beautiful new bike.
It was a dark blue, and had only two wheels. He got on it, and rode it
in a circle; then he handed it to me; and I got on it and rode it.. like magic.
This is not my bike, but one like it.

[Meg McKilty]

I think I was 6 or 7, but it looked a lot like this with some bursts of stars and such. Pink Huffy with a white banana seat the neighbors dog chewed a bit after a while. I think I still have it somewhere...

[tennisgirl43]

1972 grass green banana seat bike with sparkly green seat.

A lot like so...but green...

LOL! I had that same bike, only the seat was red, white, and blue. :-) It was very patriotic! Loved that bike!

[kelownagirl]

I can barely remember my first bike but it was a blue single speed and it was too big for me the first year. I wonder if I have a picture somewhere. I do remember my first ten speed - a purple Apollo back in 1974. It was $75 and I had to save up half the money from babysitting.

[GLC1968]

Ha! In the year since this thread first started, I've learned what happened to the white Huffy 12-speed that I loved so much.

My parents could not remember what happened to it.

Then, out of the blue, my brother brought it up. He said that my parents sold both my white huffy and his first 'real' bike (whatever it was) to a couple of guys in the next town when we were in high school. These guys were trying to get a local bike shop started and needed some bikes to work on and sell. That bike shop is still there (20 years later!), so I feel like at least my beloved bike went to a good cause.

Funny how my parents seemed to block out the memory, though!

[snapdragen]

In first or second grade, I got a blue girls Murray bike from Kiddie World. When I got bigger, I think I was riding my sister's old Schwinn, with the big old balloon tires. When I was probably 12 or 13, I got a second hand stingray type - totally stripped. No fenders, chain guard, none 'o that fancy stuff. Not bad for $15, I rode it for years, until I got my license.

//I can remember a friend chiding me "Don't you ever walk? You're always on your bike!"